Prescriptions galore
The doc sent me home with two more prescriptions to pick up: antibiotics and a spray antihistamine. Since our company changed insurance plans from BCBS to Aetna, I have to pay more out of pocket for certain name brand prescriptions. OUCH. I checked the prices on the Aetna site for some of my other prescriptions, and it will be cheaper to do home delivery than to run to Walgreens. But that only works on prescriptions you take regularly and not just the one-time sinus infection stuff. Allegra-D in bulk, here we come!
Until about 2005, I’ve never had to get a prescription filled at a pharmacy. I used to be so healthy… so allergy free… And now that I have developed Austin allergies, it seems there aren’t drugs strong enough to keep me from feeling like crap. I wonder if city surveys take into account the cost of allergy treatment into the cost of living here? Sure, it might be cheaper to live here than in NY, Chicago, San Francisco and the like… But are you healthier in those cities and thus “saving” more on prescription medicines?
I need to get packing for Chicago. Here’s what the next few days are supposed to look like:
I seriously do not know how people live in such cold temperatures without just walking around wearing a dead animal’s fur. Do I need to start buying thermal underwear to have under my pants? My top half usually does okay since I have a heavy wool coat, but the breeze under and through my pant legs… brrr! I pray for the summer months for them just the way they do (or at least I pray to NOT have to go to Chicago in the winter or early spring).
Alright, enough dilly-dallying around. Must get to the tasks at hand!
Filed under Health, Money talk | Comments (4)The sinus saga continues
If you don’t want to read about snot and gross stuff coming out of my head, this post is not for you.
When I discuss my sinus problems with people who either have more knowledge or more experience on the matter, they’ll ask me if I have pus or green-ish/yellow-ish snot. The latter, I’ve had and usually when it’s allergy related, it’s only in the mornings when things have been sitting in my head the entire night. Well, this morning, I finally understand what they mean by pus. I did my usual morning neti pot routine, and while blowing my nose, I noticed it was still dripping yellow liquid. This wasn’t snot consistency. And it wasn’t runny like when you have a runny nose. It was definitely pus.
So what I’m wondering is what form the pus is in when it’s in my sinus cavity? Is it like a cyst? Is it all along the lining? I’m equally fascinated and grossed out by the human body.
Since I’m supposed to be on a plane tomorrow to Chicago, I made an appointment with my doctor to get this stupid thing checked out. My teeth don’t hurt as much. And my cheek isn’t as sore. And I can actually breathe pretty well. But I just don’t want to go the next 4 days without essential meds while also in the bitter cold. Chi-town is supposed to only be high of 25 on one of the days. Dressing for the cold is difficult!!!
Filed under Green stuff, Health | Comment (0)Sinuses and movies
What a miserable week this has been! I’ve been fighting my sinuses morning, noon and night, and nothing I do has had long term effects. I’ll wake up and neti pot my nose. Then, I’ll pop some Allegra-D. I try to gently blow my nose throughout the day. And by night, I neti pot again and pop some more allergy medicine and decongestant. We’ve also had the humidifier going (although, I’m likely also allergic to molds, and so I don’t know if I’m making things better or worse).
Yesterday, I woke up with my teeth hurting. I thought maybe I had been grinding my teeth the night before. With further reading, I’m pretty sure I have a sinus infection in my left maxillary sinuses. On top of that, this morning has my cheek feeling like someone punched me. Also on the left side. In talking to Thomas, I’m adding Flonase back into the mix to try to shrink my sinus membranes. I also just neti pot-ed again and took some Excedrin Sinus to try to kill the congestion and pain all in one.
Wish me luck. I’ve been using Orajel to just numb my gums in the mean time. Sounds like everyone in Austin with allergies has it pretty bad this week too.
Since I’ve been feeling so miserable, we kept things low key last night. We picked up a few movies from the Movie Cube at HEB. Ours never had Burn After Reading, so I’ll have to find another way to watch that. The pickings were slim, but we walked away with Sweeney Todd, Vacancy and Tropic Thunder (which we’d seen already, but it’s just so hilarious).
Sweeney Todd was… strange. I wish it wasn’t a musical because the story line was interesting. But the singing just became distracting. I actually fell asleep in the middle of it.
Vacancy was a slasher film with Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson. They get stranded in the middle of nowhere and get attacked in a creepy motel. It had us on edge throughout, and then it turned a little too predictable.
Alright, I’m watching Tropic Thunder now, and trying to blow more crap out of my face.
Filed under Entertain Me, Health, Life with Joe | Comments (2)Happy New Year!
Our New Year’s Eve festivities turned out WAY better than I had expected. All we knew was Dave and Julie had gotten tickets for a rockabilly band at La Zona Rosa. We got there just before the opening band, and it turned out to be White Ghost Shivers!
We are major fans of them. They put on an entertaining show as usual. The main performance was Reverend Horton Heat. Dave and Julie had seen them before at ACL, and they put on a really energetic show. Nonstop energy up through midnight and a little after.
As midnight struck, balloons poured down on the crowd. Everyone was stomping on the balloons so it sounded like firecrackers everywhere. We got to see two fun performances in one night, and traffic wasn’t too bad leaving downtown.
Joe, Dave and Julie
The four of us at midnight
Back at Dave and Julie’s, we changed into bathing suits for some late night hot tubbing. It felt so good to soak in the water with the jets going when it was only 40 degrees outside. It was a really awesome New Year’s celebration, and I’m looking forward to 2009. I have many challenges ahead of me, but as long as I’m surrounded by family and friends who make me smile and laugh, then I think I’ll be okay.
Happy New Year, y’all!
Filed under Friends, Life with Joe, Photos | Comment (0)Renewed love: Hot rollers
In junior high, I bought a set of 5 jumbo hot rollers by Conair, and I used to curl my hair every morning. (Seems pretty silly in retrospect considering that I had athletics every morning and sweat half my curls away by the time practice was done.) That was the best $20 I ever spent. And this week, in my morning struggle to tame straight hair from flipping in random directions, I busted out my hot rollers again.
Now, the set I bought in … oh… 1994 has the rollers sitting on a hot metal plate, and you pretty much almost burn your fingers if you touch the hot end. But it looks like they’ve revamped the design.
Maybe it’s time to buy a new set? It’s probably less of a fire hazard too, now that I think of it. The sad thing is, even after 15 years, I still opt for a chin-ish length bob. If I get brave the next time I get my hair cut, I’ll try a different style.
Filed under Nostalgia, Photos | Comments (4)